Vets4Pets Wakefield Westgate

12/08/2025

Meet Maximus...a little kitten with a big name to fill! Gorgeous Max came to see us today to be castrated and microchipped. The entire team fell in love with him and couldn't resist snuggling him! 😻

30/07/2025

As we are working towards being an Autism Friendly Practice, we have created some guides to support our neurodivergent clients. This includes a sensory map and information on how to contact us, register and visiting the practice.

To request a guide, please email [email protected] or WhatsApp +447700151825

21/07/2025

This handsome chap is Robbie! He came to see us because 2 members of the public were concerned for his welfare. He was seen by us and scanned for a microchip - fortunately he has one and we were able to reunite him with his owners within 30 minutes! 🩷

🐾Not only are microchips the only way to reunite lost cats with their owners, but it is also compulsory by law to microchip every cat before they reach 20 weeks of age. This law came into effect in June 2024, and can result in a fine of up to £500 if not complied with.

🐾The microchip must also be registered to the chip database, with up to date details

If you need your cat or kitten microchipping, please contact us on 01922566766

15/07/2025

We want to say a massive congratulations to Rebecca, who has been qualified for 10 years now! She's just just started on her advanced certificate in anaesthesia. That will be another badge to add to her collection

14/07/2025

Meet Willow who was in with us last week. Poor girl had this grass stuck down her ear, right next to her ear drum. Luckily her owner noticed she was uncomfortable with her ear and brought her down. We hope she's feeling much more comfortable now

10/07/2025

We are currently working on The National Autistic Society's Autism Friendly Award. We feel this is important as we have a neurodiverse team and we would like to make our practice more accessible to any neurodivergent pet owners. If any of our pet owners are autistic and feel comfortable sharing any feedback on how we can improve our services, please email [email protected]

We are the UKs leading charity for autistic people and their families. Since 1962, we have been providing support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, services and opportunities to help create a society that works for autistic people.

08/07/2025

We unfortunately have had an unneutered, unmicrochipped black and white male cat handed in deceased by a member of the public in the Eastmoor area close to Pinders primary.

If you think this could be your please call the practice on 01924 566 766

20/06/2025

With temperatures soaring today and over the weekend, it is vitally important to keep your pets cool and safe from the heat. Here we can see nurse Rebecca's cat Cosmo being provided with a cool pad in her bed and using the curtain as a shade to stop her from overheating in the window while sleeping! Make sure extra water is provided, fans and cool pads where needed. A great idea for cats is to pop the lick-e-lix treats in the freezer - turning them into cat ice lollies!

The latest veterinary advice is to GET THEM WET AND OFF TO THE VET! If you suspect your pet may have heatstroke, begin cooling them immediately with cold water, get someone to phone the vets to let them know you are on the way, and get the AC as cold as possible in the car. if you need our help, our phone number is 01924566766.

10/06/2025

We recently had the gorgeous Cooper come to visit us for his castrate procedure. As you can see he was very much wanting a cuddle post op and thought it best to be climbing on RVN Rebecca's shoulders! He was so happy to see us, purring away throughout and enjoying a fuss!

It is extremely important to neuter male cats (can be done as young as 5-6 months) as this prevents them from breeding and contributing to the overpopulation of cats, reducing the number of unwanted kittens and stray cats. It reduces the chances of them roaming in search of females which can lead to road accidents, injuries and exposure to diseases. It also reduces the urge to fight other males for females and territory. Neutering can also eliminate the risk of testicular cancer and lower the risk of prostate problems. Males are also less likely to spray urine to mark territory - this can happen inside the house, not just outside!
Overall, neutered male cats have a much healthier life and tend to live for longer as they don't have the urge to roam, fight and come in contact with preventable diseases.

09/06/2025

Here at Vets4Pets we cater to all patients, no matter their size! Meet (Pirate) Billy! A syrian hamster who came to us after injuring his eye - unfortunately the only treatment was to surgically remove the eye. These patients are extremely challenging, especially when they only weigh 82 grams! He was given a quick anaesthetic and pain relief to perform this procedure and woke up very shortly afterwards and was back to his regular sassy self! He has now gone home to continue his recovery.

03/06/2025

And last but not least, is our practice manager Lisa. She started as a student in 2009, and qualified in 2012 through the College of Animal Welfare. She has been here since 2014 and is a clinical coach, has an ISFM diploma in feline nursing and a post grad degree in Veterinary Business Management. She enjoys problem solving and getting to know the needs of the patient and the owner. Her favourite part of nursing is the trickier anaesthetics, lab work and taking x-rays.

Not only is she heavily involved in all the administrative tasks of helping to run a practice, she is also on hand to help with any and all nursing tasks, never too busy to assist with any patients and helping colleagues achieve their best.

At home she is kept busy with a small child, a cat called Bertie and a Bearded Dragon called Yoshi.

We hope you have enjoyed getting to know the wonderful nursing team a bit better, and learning about just how varied their jobs are!

02/06/2025

Running slightly later than May, but we like to celebrate our nurses every day, not just during VNAM! Next up we have Leanne - who I'm sure many of you know well as she has been here since the beginning! She started her journey as a VCA (Veterinary Care Assistant) back in 2011. She then did a Level 2 Certificate in Assisting Veterinary Surgeons in the monitoring of Animal Patients under Anaesthesia and Sedation, beforing qualifying as a nurse in 2019, and becoming Head Nurse for the practice. Her favourite part of nursing is meeting all the lovely patients and clients, getting to know them and making a difference to their lives. She also enjoys working with her amazing colleagues at Vets 4 Pets, and couldn't imagine working anywhere else! Leanne also loves being a head nurse with the ability to help and support colleagues and the practice.

At home she is kept busy with a small child, and a cat called Podrick - he was taken in by the practice at 3 weeks of age and charmed is way into her house. He has been there ever since!

25/02/2024

When Kelly from our Colton store's Pets Grooming salon discovered a lump on the tail of nine-year-old Rufus she suspected something wasn't right, so alerted his owners Les and Andrea so they could get it checked out. They brought him to Vets for Pets Leeds Colton where it was confirmed he had a cancerous tumour which needed surgery.

Les, who adopted Rufus from Dogs Trust in Leeds as a puppy, said: “Rufus is such a big part of our life; we’re absolutely besotted with him. We probably wouldn’t have noticed the lump if not at the groomers as the tail isn’t somewhere you would usually stroke and feel. Kelly loves Rufus and really looks after him, so we want to say a big thanks for spotting it. Who'd have known what would have happened if she hadn’t noticed.”

Rufus had to have his tail removed, but is now making a good recovery. He's been visiting Kelly for a groom every six weeks for the last three years. She said: “You get to know everything about a dog as you groom them. I’ve discovered similar things before on other dogs so I mentioned it to the owners so they could get it checked out. Dogs are my life and you do worry; I’m so pleased they caught it. Now he’s got a fully docked tail like a little bunny rabbit. It’s lovely and suits him – when he gets washed he wiggles his bum.”

21/02/2024

Arthur's owner Louise says he "looked like a brand-new tortoise" after having his beak filed at Sutton in Ashfield Vets4Pets.

Louise adopted the four-year-old Horsefield Tortoise from a family member in October. Although she has had other pets, Arthur is her first tortoise, so she has been doing some research on how to best care for him.

Louise said: "I noticed Arthur's beak was unusually long, so I brought him in to Vets for Pets; I bring all my pets there. When he came out, I thought 'you beautiful boy, look at you – you look so handsome!"

Vet Steph, who looked after Arthur, says that tortoise beaks continuously grow and normally grind down themselves while they're eating. She said: "Arthur needed a little help as his jaw isn't perfectly aligned; his lower jaw is further out than his top jaw, so I filed it around half a centimetre. He was really good; a real cutie."

18/02/2024

Owner Claire says she couldn't be more grateful to Vets4Pets Hamilton after their quick diagnosis saved the sight of six-year-old Alba.

Claire knew there was something terribly wrong with her miniature dachshund cross when she called her in from the back garden last summer and Alba ran headfirst into a closed patio door. She rushed her to the vets, where investigations led the team to diagnose her with uveitis – an eye condition which causes inflammation of the middle layer of the eye.

Claire said: "It all happened so suddenly; Alba must have heard my voice and guessed where to go. It was quite scary seeing how bad she was. We couldn't be more grateful for the team in Hamilton spotting the uveitis as quickly as they did, otherwise Alba would have gone blind within a matter of days. Their knowledge saved Alba's sight. I still can't believe it happened. It's taken months of treatments, but it's such a relief to have our girl back to being her funny, bossy self."

Vet Neil, one of the team who treated Alba, said: "Alba's pupil was really narrow and wouldn't respond to light properly, which can be a sign of uveitis. Once we had ruled out other conditions, we were able to get her to an eye specialist for ongoing treatment. She's now doing really well."

16/02/2024

Ducky's owner Antonia was in a state of panic when she saw a fox had dug its way into the field where she keeps him – killing two of her other ducks and chickens.

Antonia was about to move her brood into their pen for the evening when she saw what had happened and noticed that Ducky had severe bite wounds under his wing. She rushed him to Vets4Pets Vets Milton Keynes for emergency surgery – and after having his wound stitched up the one-year-old duck is now making a good recovery.

Antonia said: "I was so worried. You don’t often hear of ducks recovering from fox attacks, but there is something about Ducky and the way he was so brave. I'm sure he was protecting a lady duck, as he's a bit of a romantic. It's the first time we've gone to Vets for Pets, and the team were amazing; they've done an incredible job."

Vet Becca, who treated Ducky, said: "He's a really lucky duck, as it was quite a big wound. When he first came in, he was understandably subdued and quiet but when he came back for his stitches to be taken out, he wanted to explore and tuck his head into everyone’s shoulders."

07/02/2024

Well done to the team at Vets4Pets Guildford who've been awarded a silver level certificate for being a rabbit-friendly clinic.

After head veterinary nurse Ella noticed that more customers were bringing in rabbits the practice took a series of steps to give them as stress-free an experience as possible. Ella, who also fosters rescue dogs in her spare time, said: "There was a long list of things that we needed to prove that we did from making sure the rabbits are kept separate from other animals and not booked in at the same time as barking dogs, to providing heated kennels for those who need to stay in, and using special equipment made especially for rabbits."

Practice manager Kevin said: "All of our vets have plenty of experience with rabbits we have some real rabbit geeks here, so it was a big thing to us. There are so many good people in this world and I'm so proud to be around them."

28/01/2024

Beautiful Bear was born deaf, so he's learned to follow his owner Lisa's visual commands.

Lisa, who shops at our Tamworth store – "it's my second home!" – got two-year-old Bear as a kitten and suspected he was deaf when he didn't respond to her voice. She had it confirmed by her vet soon after. She said: "He was very scatty, and scared of people he didn’t recognise. He wasn’t bothered by loud noises like my other cat Emily and when I came home from work he wouldn’t hear the door open.

"He's doing really well though. I try to do some sign language with him – I point at him and do a solid hand sign at him to stop. He picks up on vibrations and scents too. He meows, making a really loud chirping sound which I’ve never heard a cat do before, and he’s always rubbing his head against my legs and following me everywhere. I was advised not to let him out because he wouldn’t hear cars or other dangers, so he comes outside with me every morning to have a sniff around the garden and always comes straight back in." Bear and Lisa's other cat Emily are on Instagram as

27/01/2024

Ten-year-old Dutch rabbit Alfie has been visiting vet Kate at Vets4pets Wolverhampton for dental treatment for the last eight years – and she says he's such a loveable character that he's become "part of the family".

He's one of the oldest rabbits treated by Kate and the team, and she says his longevity is down to the care and love he gets from his owner Tracy and her family. Kate said: "Alfie is famous in this practice – everyone knows him. We and his family are dedicated to making sure her little old man is happy. The beautiful thing about being a vet or vet nurse is you build these relationships with the owners and their pets – they become your surrogate pets."

Tracy's been keeping rabbits all her life, and says that having space and routine is key. She said: "Alfie is an old man now and has a routine. He goes into a hutch at night and is let out in the morning. He's out all day and has his favourite spots in the house. We clean him out every day and give him a lot of attention. When he was younger he would follow us around; if I was clearing a cupboard out he would be in the cupboard to help. Now he's old and wants to be warm and watch instead. I can't thank Kate and the practice enough. Kate's been fantastic with him."

26/01/2024

Eight-year-old Winnie the Schnauzer cross is running around like a puppy again thanks to laser treatment and physiotherapy after two successful knee operations at Vets for Pets Basildon.

Worried owner Tracy brought Winnie in to the practice after she collapsed on a walk last year – and the team discovered the cruciate ligament in a knee had ruptured. She’s since had ops on two knees and is on a recovery plan led by vet physiotherapist Izzy.

Tracy said: "Winnie has had a tough year with 15 teeth removed, two cruciate ligament operations and two bouts of pancreatitis but thankfully she's hardy. She’s treated fabulously at the Basildon practice. Izzy is great with her – she totally relaxes in her hands and does little snores with her eyes open. Winnie has a new lease of life again and is running around like a puppy."

Izzy said: "When pets have surgery or injure themselves they move differently which causes them to be sore in other places. Winnie has laser therapy then a massage to help the healing process. Laser treatment is a specialist service that not enough people know about – it can help in so many ways after an operation.”

19/01/2024

The team at Vets4Pets Cramlington say greyhound Frank was "an absolute gentleman" when he came in for some dental work.

Seven-year-old Frank was brought in by owner Harriet to get rid of some plaque which had built up and to treat a gum inflammation. Veterinary nurse Vicki said: "Frank was a very good boy and left with clean, fresh and sparkly teeth. It's so very important to get your dog's teeth checked and we advise pets to have an annual dental check. Eighty per cent of dogs over the age of three have dental disease. Prevention is much better than cure and regular checks and routine cleaning keep your pet's mouth healthier for longer and can help to prevent extensive extractions later in life. We are always happy to offer advice on maintenance and dental care at home such as teeth brushing or dental supplements."

18/01/2024

Veterinary nurse Mel from Vets4Pets Bristol Longwell Green loves cats so much she's helped the practice make a number of improvements to give cats as stress-free an experience as possible when they're brought in.

Mel, who has an Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour for Veterinary Professionals, helped introduce facilities like a separate feline waiting area and cattery and the use of quiet clippers – and the practice now has a silver level certificate for being a cat-friendly clinic. She said: "I love dogs but I'm really a cat person. Cats can be misunderstood which can lead to them having quite a stressful life, so if we can make things easier for them and help people understand what cats need then everyone will be happier.

"As animal lovers there's always more to learn and understand about what makes them happy. Enrichment at the home is important for a happy cat – and as cats are naturally solitary animals if you live in a multi-cat household it's important to understand what they need. The rule is to have a resource per cat, plus one spare. So if you have two cats you should have three feeding stations, three litter trays and three scratch posts spread around the house so they have the opportunity to move around to wherever they want to go. Scratching is as natural a thing for cats to do as going out hunting is, so if they're unable to go out it's about providing the chance for them to behave as naturally as possible."

07/01/2024

Four-year-old Sebastian the Jack Russell is back to his usual boisterous self after being treated at Vets4Pets Abingdon for a condition that was causing the knee caps on his back legs to dislocate when he walked.

The condition, known as medial patellar luxation, would cause him to hop or skip when exercising. It's quite common in terriers and small dog breeds, but Sebastian's case was quite severe and he was given surgery by orthopaedic surgeon Joe to deepen the groove his patella runs in on his right hind leg, and also to move and reattach his patellar tendon.

Sebastian is owned by practice vet Hannah who said: "After the operation he just wanted to get back to normal straight away but he couldn't ... and that's where we struggled. He wanted to be out and about, charging around and playing with his toys but he needed to rest." Hannah had to give him medication for six weeks to give his knees time to heal. She said: "He's absolutely fine now – he's fully recovered and running around like a lunatic again!"

05/01/2024

When 11-year-old lurcher Jess was brought into Vets for Pets Leeds Birstall 24/7 Small Animal Hospital on Christmas Eve feeling very poorly with pyometra – a life-threatening uterus infection – the team knew they had to act fast; so vet Emily and nurses JD and Hannah headed straight in to perform emergency surgery on her in the early hours of Christmas morning.

The operation went so well that by lunchtime nurse Krishna was able to call her owner Beth to say she was well enough to come home to recuperate – and Beth made the hour-long drive from her home in Keighley so she could bring Jess home before the family sat down for their Christmas dinner. Beth said: "It was a stressful start to Christmas, as we were worried about Jess because of her age and because she's never had anything wrong with her before. We're so grateful for everything – it was so nice of them to come in on Christmas Day to operate on her, to look after her so well and to get her home on top form. The vets were fantastic from start to finish. Jess is recovering nicely – you can see the happiness is back in her!"

Krishna said: "Our night team always do an amazing job, and performing serious surgery like that at that time of night and on Christmas Day of all days is just brilliant. Jess did amazingly well to bounce back so quickly, and it was amazing being able to call her owners to say that she could come home to spend Christmas with them. It's the sort of call we all love to make, but doing it on Christmas Day was extra nice."